As the world's largest democracy holds elections, BBC News Online asks people on the streets of India what they would do if they were prime minister. And keep sending us your views.

Raminder Singh, railway station porter, Delhi

If I were the prime minister, I would increase the charges of porters and make railway and bus stations cleaner. I would work for the poor and create more job opportunities for the millions who are fighting to survive.

As prime minister, I would make death the punishment for corruption. I would also try to construct houses for those who were homeless.

I would also abolish begging on the streets. But most importantly, I would try to root out corruption, as it is proving to be dangerous for the nation.

Who would ever let me become prime minister? The people sitting at the top would never let a commoner like me become a prime minister!

But let us suppose for a moment that I am elected prime minister - I would change the very face of this country. Just how I will achieve this will be rather simple. You see all our leaders today are completely corrupt. I am not connected with any particular party and I have never cast my vote

Millions of extremely poor people do not even have enough to eat. They need food. Those who have something to eat, do not have anything to shelter themselves under. They need houses. These will be my priorities.

Sandeep Kalia, chef, Jodhpur

The first thing I would do is make strict rules to maintain the heritage status of historic Indian cities like Jodhpur. Tourists are drawn to India because of the legacy left behind by our ancestors and it is our duty to preserve it.

Next on my agenda would be to pass a law which would set a
retirement age for politicians - I don't see any reason why we should be governed by a 70-plus clique. Also, politicians need to be taught how to behave and so I would set up a
code of conduct for them.

Illiteracy is one of the biggest ills affecting this country and it needs to be tackled on a war-footing.

I firmly believe that with good education the problem of unemployment would be solved to a large extent and that in effect would eradicate poverty.

Samson Joy, student, Kasaragod, Kerala

If I become the prime minister I will tackle the growing religious divide in this country.

This is a very religious country but politicians often misuse religion for their ends. They try and drive wedges between communities - this is wrong.

Because of this we have religious problems such as riots, attacks and tension between religious communities. This is a multi-religious country and everyone should live together in peace and be able to practice their faith.

I will try and teach Indians to understand each other by promoting education. I will also be very hard on people who promote disharmony and ill-feeling between communities. It is a dangerous practice and must stop.

Rajesh Kumar, cigarette vendor, Delhi

The first thing I would do would be to stop policemen taking money from us forcibly on a regular basis.

I would certainly impose the death penalty for those indulging in corruption in any government department and that is the best way to uproot this menace from our country.

I would not permit beacon lights on official cars except the president's. These lights reflect the division in our society.

I would get houses constructed and give them to the homeless who live on streets and pavements, for free. They are part of the section of the society whom the politicians woo just before the elections and leave them to rot after they win.

I would also create more employment opportunities. People here take to crime only because they do not have anything worthwhile to do.

Nagarani, 27, software engineer, Hyderabad

My first goal as prime minister would be to evolve a common education system for all Indian states.

At the moment, there is tremendous disparity between various states and their education standards. I would also like to substantially increase the budget for education, particularly primary education. If we remove illiteracy, India can achieve most of its goals.

I would work towards a more equitable distribution of resources and wealth. At the moment, the cities draw most of our attention and capital. But most Indians live in villages and unless we address their concerns, all talk about India as an economic superpower will be meaningless.

I would also like to make politicians a lot more accountable. Corruption is the root cause of lack of development and I would try and make our government a lot more transparent.

Debjani Misra, social worker, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa

I shall work towards the empowerment of women. I shall bring in tough laws to protect women who are poor. I shall work towards child development and enforce harsh punishment for those who employ children as labourers. In a country where the rate of illiteracy is still high, I shall try to check school drop-outs and make education free for all till university level.

I shall create new employment opportunities and also work towards alleviating poverty in the country. I know it cannot be achieved overnight, but sustained efforts towards this will surely prove fruitful within a certain period.

I shall also enforce ban on smoking, tobacco products and liquor throughout the country. All these vices are proving dangerous to the future of our country.

I shall also try and enact tough laws to check corruption in bureaucracy which have squandered enough public money so far.

I shall also make people in power accountable to the public wherein the elected representatives will have to show results during their tenure. They have to take concrete steps to improve living conditions of the people. If they don't, then I shall bring in a law barring them from contesting in forthcoming elections.

Arunagiri Janakiraman, 31, scrap vendor, Bangalore

I would first try to resolve the longstanding Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Everybody should get water. We all live in one country but always fight for water.

This problem could be solved by bringing the people of both states together. It would be one of my main priorities.

I would also provide houses for all homeless people and jobs for the unemployed, especially youths. There is no better feeling than getting a job.

I would ask the police to ensure communal peace. People should live like brothers and sisters and there should not be any discrimination on caste.

S Bhanumathy Iyer, 45, cook, Madras

I find essential commodities too costly. If I became leader, I would strive to make foodstuff and vegetables more affordable.

Most women who run households understand the importance of feeding a family. Men may earn but they don't quite realise the importance of foodstuff.

We also need parity of wages between men and women in India.

We need water for all - it is the most important life source. In a city like Madras, all our mornings are spent fighting with neighbours over water.

Prices, equal wages and clean water for all - these are the things I would do if I became prime minister.

Giridhar Lal Meena, 57, farmer, Rajasthan

I know I have no chance of ever becoming prime minister of this country. No one would vote for someone who is a tribal.

All our rulers have always been rich and powerful and upper caste Hindu.

But if I do ever make it to the post, I'll first take care of my family. We'll move into a larger house and then I'll take steps to improve the lot of our community and all the tribals of India.

Every law in this land is designed to push us out of existence. We need to change that.

Sheena Bhalla, student, Delhi

If I were the prime minister of India, I would stop talking about corruption in politics and introduce minimum educational qualifications for contesting or entering politics.

Our leaders, who are supposed to be our representatives and role models, cannot eradicate illiteracy - one of India's greatest social evils - without being literate themselves.

I do not believe that leaders have to be engineers or doctors, but I do believe that a certain amount of education is necessary for any leader to give his best to his country.

On the other hand, I would also want to increase the government funding for higher education. At least 10% of the annual Gross Domestic Product should be used to provide better institutions for higher education in India.

Jayesh Kanji Patel, 40, fisherman, Gujarat

If I became prime minister I would build roads connecting all of India's villages.

That's where most Indians live and that would be my focus.

I would also concentrate on building proper houses for all the poor people in this country - not mud houses but ones made of brick and concrete.

But most of all, I would work to free all the poor fishermen who are stuck in jail in Pakistan. Every month so many fishermen get caught when they inadvertently stray into Pakistani waters.

I'd work with Pakistan to try and ensure we don't have such a situation. There has got to be a way and I will find it.

Nisha Bagale, 58, lawyer, Nagpur

If I became prime minister, I would change the whole country and remove corruption.

I would look after the low caste, backward and the uneducated people of the country. I would make them all educated. I would help the people of India who live in rural areas.

I would give employment to the unemployed. I would give education to all. I would help the poor.

No one looks after the poor in this country. Nothing has changed for them since independence.

Suhas Prabhu, 35, businessman, Bombay

First thing I would do is change the infrastructure.

It's pathetic. I drive to work everyday, the roads are pathetic, there are traffic problems and it's all linked to corruption.

The major problem that India faces today is corruption. You have to pay money for everything. We are responsible for corruption because we give them money.

For instance if I am stopped at the traffic signal, instead of giving my driving license to the policeman I would prefer to bribe him. But today I have stopped doing that.

So the first thing as individuals we need to do is stop bribing these men because we are to blame for giving corruption a lead. And if the level of corruption lessened, our society would drastically improve.

To counter corruption, I would put systems in place. We need system checks. I would look at the grassroots level, fight corruption there.

Also I would try to better the standard of living of the people so then they would not need to take bribes or beg for livelihood. This in turn would defeat corruption.

Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, 48, Maliabad

If I got the opportunity to become India's leader, I would work towards improving the lot of the millions in our country who do not have a roof over their heads and enough to eat.

A recent survey showed that nearly 40% of Indians can only eat one meal a day. I would use all my energies to redress this appalling situation.

There is too much disparity between the rich and the poor in this country.

I would do this fearlessly, without worrying about whether I would be re-elected once my five-year term ends.

Many of our present politicians spend too much time engaging in theatrics without doing anything substantial.

I would also work to maintain peace between Hindus and Muslims. We have so much in common, have lived together all this years only to find some unscrupulous politicians dividing us. It needs to be brought to an end.

All Indians should be equal and allowed to live together in dignity.

Vineeta Mirdha, 21, maid, Delhi

It is laughable to even think what I would do for India if I were in charge of the country.

But, for starters, I would have tried to restore some peace and amity within the country.

I grew up amidst a lot of violence and killings, mostly between fiercely antagonistic rival political parties back home [in West Bengal].

I fail to understand why political rivalry has to descend to such levels.

My first priority would to make my home - and our villages - peaceful, by ensuring an end to political clashes by pulling them up and ensuring that they abide by the law of the land.

Then all of us in villages can live in peace.

I do not like poverty. I hate it. I want to become rich. I want to earn pots of money and spend it.

If I were to take charge of the country, I would like to find out how to make people like us richer.

As it stands now, I think I will remain poor all my life. There is no road to riches in sight.

I would push for the creation of more jobs. Otherwise, we have to keep migrating like nomads in search of jobs.

Narsimhan, 22, business student, Lucknow

First of all, I would like to resolve the primary issue of India-Pakistan relations.

We need to have more interaction with our neighbours which we do not have at the moment. Each of us stick to our own stances without yielding to the other.

We need to find a common forum, if necessary with the help of a third party, where we can discuss our issues.

We need to sit together and resolve our differences, otherwise the problems between us will continue for another 50 or 100 years. It may not be easy but we have to do it.

I would also like to keep government out of higher education.

Our professional institutions, such as the Indian Institute of Management where I study, need to be allowed to make their own decisions on how to manage their money and resources.

Finally, I would like to address the issue of getting rid of poverty and bringing India to the level of other developed nations as soon as possible.